---
type: "Bill"
title: "Subdivision ordinance; plan review by designated agent, definition of \"designated agent.\""
description: "Subdivision ordinance; plan review by designated agent. Removes planning commission and governing body approval authority for the administrative review process for plats and plans and assigns such authority solely to a designated agent, defined in the bill. However, the bill provides that the local planning commission may serve as the designated agent of any locality with a population of 5,000 or less. The bill also expedites the review process by shortening the timeframe for forwarding plats and plans to state agencies for review."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2025"
identifier: "SB 974"
citation: "Virginia SB 974 (2025)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Schuyler T. VanValkenburg"]
version_count: 7
action_count: 33
vote_count: 7
first_action: "2025-01-07"
last_action: "2025-03-24"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/fa0250d6-22a6-4b3b-bf9d-10c12ad41a0c"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/SB974"
source_hash: "8e06540e7b3e42266054ecf428d766de837ac034e8eb9964b0aa865c76ae9cb4"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-va"]
---

# Virginia SB 974 (2025) — Subdivision ordinance; plan review by designated agent, definition of "designated agent."

Subdivision ordinance; plan review by designated agent. Removes planning commission and governing body approval authority for the administrative review process for plats and plans and assigns such authority solely to a designated agent, defined in the bill. However, the bill provides that the local planning commission may serve as the designated agent of any locality with a population of 5,000 or less. The bill also expedites the review process by shortening the timeframe for forwarding plats and plans to state agencies for review.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1014668.PDF)
2. **Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1078063.PDF)
3. **Counties, Cities and Towns Amendment** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1043811.HTML)
4. **Counties, Cities and Towns Subcommittee Amendment** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1042857.HTML)
5. **House Amendments** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1048680.HTML)
6. **Local Government Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1029941.PDF)
7. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1053826.PDF)

## Votes

- Passed House with amendments (89-Y 8-N) — **89–8** (pass) · lower
- Read third time and passed Senate (35-Y 5-N) — **35–5** (pass) · upper
- House Amendments agreed to by Senate (30-Y 5-N) — **30–5** (pass) · upper
- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N) — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Local Government with substitute (12-Y 2-N) — **12–2** (pass) · upper
- Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (8-Y 0-N) — **8–0** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns with amendment(s) (17-Y 4-N) — **17–4** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Schuyler T. VanValkenburg — primary (person)
- Carrie E. Coyner — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2025-01-07** Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-08-2025 25104271D `filing, introduction`
- **2025-01-07** Referred to Committee on Local Government `referral-committee`
- **2025-01-27** Reported from Local Government with substitute (12-Y 2-N) `committee-passage`
- **2025-01-27** Committee substitute printed 25106055D-S1 `substitution`
- **2025-01-28** Rules suspended
- **2025-01-28** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N)
- **2025-01-28** Passed by for the day
- **2025-01-29** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2025-01-29** Reading of substitute waived
- **2025-01-29** Local Government Substitute agreed to
- **2025-01-29** Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute `substitution`
- **2025-01-30** Read third time and passed Senate (35-Y 5-N) `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-02-04** Placed on Calendar
- **2025-02-04** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2025-02-04** Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns `referral-committee`
- **2025-02-04** Assigned CCT sub: Subcommittee #2 `referral-committee`
- **2025-02-06** Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (8-Y 0-N)
- **2025-02-07** Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns with amendment(s) (17-Y 4-N) `committee-passage`
- **2025-02-11** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2025-02-12** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2025-02-12** Passed by temporarily
- **2025-02-12** Counties, Cities and Towns Amendments agreed to `amendment-passage`
- **2025-02-12** Engrossed by House as amended
- **2025-02-12** Passed House with amendments (89-Y 8-N) `passage`
- **2025-02-14** House Amendments agreed to by Senate (30-Y 5-N) `amendment-passage`
- **2025-02-18** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2025-02-18** Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB974ER) `passage`
- **2025-02-18** Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2025-02-20** Signed by President `passage`
- **2025-03-03** Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 3, 2025 `enrolled`
- **2025-03-03** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 `executive-receipt`
- **2025-03-24** Approved by Governor-Chapter 594 (Effective 07/01/25) `executive-signature`
- **2025-03-24** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0594)

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/fa0250d6-22a6-4b3b-bf9d-10c12ad41a0c`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).